Coyotes center Barrett Hayton to return from injury Thursday night against Vegas
Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton will finally return to the lineup against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night after missing nearly three months with an upper-body injury.
Hayton, 23, made an early exit from Arizona’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on November 14 after suffering an injury while scoring his second goal of the season. He has two goals and four points in 16 games with the Coyotes this year.
Initially expected to miss a few weeks, Hayton suffered a setback in his recovery that resulted in him being sidelined until the All-Star break. Coyotes head coach André Tourigny confirmed on Thursday morning that Hayton will, indeed, make his return against the Golden Knights at Mullett Arena.
Tourigny also indicated on Thursday that defenseman Matt Dumba will return to action against the Golden Knights. The 29-year-old defender had been out since January 22 while recovering from an upper-body injury.
Tourigny confirms that Barrett Hayton and Matt Dumba will play tonight. https://t.co/6eBmrEoCWZ
— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) February 8, 2024Hayton has spent much of the last two seasons as the center on Arizona’s top line with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. That line combination ranks among the NHL’s most productive and consistent at driving play.
Under previous general manager John Chayka, the Coyotes originally selected Hayton with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft. The former Soo Greyhounds forward made his NHL debut with the club in the 2019–20 season.
Hayton set career highs with 19 goals and 43 points in 82 games with the Coyotes in the 2022–23 season. He’s in the back half of the two-year, $1.775 million AAV contract he signed with the Coyotes in the 2022 offseason.
Through 192 career games over parts of five seasons with the Coyotes, Hayton has collected 34 goals and 78 points. He appeared in three playoff games with the Coyotes during the 2020 bubble.